83d Fighter Weapons Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 83d Fighter Weapons Squadron is an United States Air Force
unit, assigned to the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group, being stationed at Tyndall AFB, Florida
.
The annual firing of 300 missiles evaluates all Air Force air-to-air missile capabilities for the AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile, AIM-7 Sparrow missile, AIM-9 Sidewinder missile and aircraft guns, and also provides live missile training for combat Air Force crews as a secondary objective. Squadron personnel verify weapon system performance, determine reliability, evaluate capability and limitations, identify deficiencies, recommend corrective action, and maintain Combat Air Force-wide data.
The squadron investigates missile envelopes and evaluates capabilities and limitations to determine future firing requirements. They provide liaison support for pre-deployment, employment, and redeployment of Air Combat Command, United States Air Forces Europe, Pacific Air Forces, Air National Guard, U.S. Air Force Reserve and Canadian Forces participating in WSEP, William Tell and WIC missile firing programs.
squadron, initially equipped with P-38 Lightning
s. After training in California was deployed overseas to the European Theater of Operations
(ETO) in England
. Was initially assigned to RAF Goxhill
for European transition training with the Royal Air Force
, then assigned to its operational station at RAF Duxford. Was assigned to VIII Fighter Command
for heavy bomber escort duties of B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator
s, engaged in long range strategic bombardment of military and industrial targets in Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany
. Engaged in air-to-air combat with Luftwaffe
interceptors over France
and the Low Countries
, the extended range of the P-38 could not extend over Germany
. Replaced P-38s with P-47 Thunderbolt
s in mid-1943; later with P-51D Mustangs in 1944 which enabled the squadron to fly escort missions deep into Germany and also engage in fighter sweeps over enemy airfields, bridges, railroads, road transport and other targets of opportunity. Continued combat operations until the German Capitulation in May 1945.
Demobilized in England during the summer of 1945; returned to the United States and was inactivated largely as a paper unit, October 1945. Was reactivated by the United States Air Forces in Europe
in 1946 as an occupation unit at Army Air Force Station Strubing, Germany in 1946-1947.
, Washington and received F-86D Sabres. In August 1955 the 83d FIS designation was transferred back to Hamilton AFB to another F-86D squadron, and the organization at Paine Field was reassigned.
In December 1957 the 83d FIS received F-l04A Starfighters to become the first operational F-104 squadron in ADC. In addition, the squadron received the two-seat, dual-control, combat trainer F-104B. The performance of the F-104B was almost identical to that of the F-104A, but the lower internal fuel capacity reduced its effective range considerably.
It was found that the F-104A was not very well suited for service as an interceptor. Its low interception range was a problem for North American air defense, and its lack of all-weather capability made it incapable of operating in conjunction with the SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) system.
Service with the F-104s consequently quite brief, and the Starfighters were replaced by more heavily-armed all-weather McDonnell F-101B Voodoo in July 1960. The F-101B proved to be a quite successful interceptor. assigned alongside the F-101B interceptor was the F-101F operational and conversion trainer. The two-seat trainer version was equipped with dual controls, but carried the same armament as the F-101B and were fully combat-capable.
On 1 July 1963 the squadron was inactivated, the aircraft being passed along to other Air Defense Command squadrons. It was reactivated at Loring AFB, Maine in July 1971 replacing the 27th FIS which was equipped with F-106 Delta Darts. The 83d FIS was deactivated in June 1972 as part of the draw-down of Air Defense Command.
Reactivated in 1972 as a T-38 Talon Undergraduate Pilot Training squadron at Webb AFB, Texas. Inactivated with the closing of Webb in 1977. Reactivated at Tyndall AFB, Florida as a weapons evaluation squadron in 1991.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit, assigned to the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group, being stationed at Tyndall AFB, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Overview
The 83d Fighter Weapons Squadron is a non-flying unit that conducts the Air Force Air-to-Air Weapon System Evaluation Program. The squadron evaluates the total air-to-air weapons system including aircraft, weapon delivery system, weapon, aircrew, support equipment, technical data and maintenance actions. The squadron hosts 38 air-to-air WSEP deployments annually at Tyndall AFB.The annual firing of 300 missiles evaluates all Air Force air-to-air missile capabilities for the AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile, AIM-7 Sparrow missile, AIM-9 Sidewinder missile and aircraft guns, and also provides live missile training for combat Air Force crews as a secondary objective. Squadron personnel verify weapon system performance, determine reliability, evaluate capability and limitations, identify deficiencies, recommend corrective action, and maintain Combat Air Force-wide data.
The squadron investigates missile envelopes and evaluates capabilities and limitations to determine future firing requirements. They provide liaison support for pre-deployment, employment, and redeployment of Air Combat Command, United States Air Forces Europe, Pacific Air Forces, Air National Guard, U.S. Air Force Reserve and Canadian Forces participating in WSEP, William Tell and WIC missile firing programs.
World War II
Established in early 1942 as a IV Fighter CommandIV Fighter Command
The IV Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Fourth Air Force, based at Oakland Airport, California...
squadron, initially equipped with P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
s. After training in California was deployed overseas to the European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
(ETO) in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Was initially assigned to RAF Goxhill
RAF Goxhill
RAF Goxhill is a former Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force station in England. It is located just to the east of the village of Goxhill, on the south bank of the Humber estuary, opposite the city of Kingston upon Hull, in north Lincolnshire....
for European transition training with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, then assigned to its operational station at RAF Duxford. Was assigned to VIII Fighter Command
VIII Fighter Command
The VIII Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at RAF Honington, England. It was inactivated on 20 March 1946....
for heavy bomber escort duties of B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
s, engaged in long range strategic bombardment of military and industrial targets in Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. Engaged in air-to-air combat with Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
interceptors over France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
, the extended range of the P-38 could not extend over Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Replaced P-38s with P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
s in mid-1943; later with P-51D Mustangs in 1944 which enabled the squadron to fly escort missions deep into Germany and also engage in fighter sweeps over enemy airfields, bridges, railroads, road transport and other targets of opportunity. Continued combat operations until the German Capitulation in May 1945.
Demobilized in England during the summer of 1945; returned to the United States and was inactivated largely as a paper unit, October 1945. Was reactivated by the United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
in 1946 as an occupation unit at Army Air Force Station Strubing, Germany in 1946-1947.
Air Defense Command
The 83d was transferred from USAFE to Air Defense Command in June 1947, being stationed at Mitchell Field, New York. Prior to being equipped it was transferred to Hamilton AFB, California where it received F-51D Mustangs and F-84B Thunderjets. In the fall of 1950 it was upgraded to F-84Ds and in August 1951 it transitioned into F-89B Scorpions. In July 1952 the squadron moved to Paine FieldPaine Field
Paine Field, also known as Snohomish County Airport is a public airport located in unincorporated Snohomish County, between Mukilteo and Everett, Washington...
, Washington and received F-86D Sabres. In August 1955 the 83d FIS designation was transferred back to Hamilton AFB to another F-86D squadron, and the organization at Paine Field was reassigned.
In December 1957 the 83d FIS received F-l04A Starfighters to become the first operational F-104 squadron in ADC. In addition, the squadron received the two-seat, dual-control, combat trainer F-104B. The performance of the F-104B was almost identical to that of the F-104A, but the lower internal fuel capacity reduced its effective range considerably.
It was found that the F-104A was not very well suited for service as an interceptor. Its low interception range was a problem for North American air defense, and its lack of all-weather capability made it incapable of operating in conjunction with the SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) system.
Service with the F-104s consequently quite brief, and the Starfighters were replaced by more heavily-armed all-weather McDonnell F-101B Voodoo in July 1960. The F-101B proved to be a quite successful interceptor. assigned alongside the F-101B interceptor was the F-101F operational and conversion trainer. The two-seat trainer version was equipped with dual controls, but carried the same armament as the F-101B and were fully combat-capable.
On 1 July 1963 the squadron was inactivated, the aircraft being passed along to other Air Defense Command squadrons. It was reactivated at Loring AFB, Maine in July 1971 replacing the 27th FIS which was equipped with F-106 Delta Darts. The 83d FIS was deactivated in June 1972 as part of the draw-down of Air Defense Command.
Reactivated in 1972 as a T-38 Talon Undergraduate Pilot Training squadron at Webb AFB, Texas. Inactivated with the closing of Webb in 1977. Reactivated at Tyndall AFB, Florida as a weapons evaluation squadron in 1991.
Lineage
- Constituted 83d Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on January 13, 1942.
- Activated on February 9, 1942.
- Redesignated: 83d Fighter Squadron on May 15, 1942
- Inactivated on October 18, 1945
- Activated on August 20, 1946
- Redesignated: 83d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on January 20, 1950
- Redesignated: 83d Fighter-Day Squadron on November 18, 1956
- Redesignated: 83d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on February 8, 1957
- Inactivated on December 31, 1969
- Reactivated on 1 July 1971 by redesignation of 27th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron personnel and equipment.
- Inactivated on 30 June 1972
- Redesignated: 83d Flying Training Squadron and activated on December 1, 1972
- Inactivated on September 30, 1977
- Redesignated: 83d Fighter Weapons Squadron and activated on January 23, 1991
Assignments
- 78th Pursuit (later Fighter) Group78th Air Base WingThe 78th Air Base Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The 78th ABW acts as the host unit at Robins.-Mission:...
, February 9, 1942 – October 18, 1945 - 78th Fighter (later Fighter-Interceptor) Group78th Air Base WingThe 78th Air Base Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The 78th ABW acts as the host unit at Robins.-Mission:...
, August 20, 1946 - 4702nd Defense Wing, February 6, 1952
- 4704th Defense Wing, August 1, 1952
- 529th Air Defense Group, February 16, 1953
- 78th Fighter Group78th Fighter GroupThe 78th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 78th Fighter Wing, being assigned to Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 1 February 1961....
, August 18, 1955
- Attached to the 13th Air Task Force, September 15 – December 20, 1958
- 78th Fighter Wing, February 1, 1961 – December 31, 1969
- 21st Air Division, 1 July 1971-30 June 1972
- 78th Flying Training Wing, December 1, 1972 – September 30, 1977
- Tactical Air CommandTactical Air CommandTactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
(Air Combat CommandAir Combat CommandAir Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
after June 1, 1992)
- USAF Air Warfare Center, January 23, 1991
- 475th Weapons Evaluation Group, October 1, 1991
- 53rd Wing
- 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group, October 1, 1995
Stations
- Baer Field, IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, February 9, 1942 - Muroc AAF, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, April 30, 1942 - Mills Field, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, May 10, 1942 - Hamilton Field, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, June 23 – November 10, 1942 - RAF GoxhillRAF GoxhillRAF Goxhill is a former Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force station in England. It is located just to the east of the village of Goxhill, on the south bank of the Humber estuary, opposite the city of Kingston upon Hull, in north Lincolnshire....
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, December 1, 1942 - RAF Duxford, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, April 1, 1943 – October 11, 1945 - Camp Kilmer, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, October 16–18, 1945 - Straubing, Germany, August 20, 1946 – June 25, 1947
- Mitchel Field, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, June 25, 1947 - Hamilton AFB, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, November 24, 1948 - Paine AFBPaine FieldPaine Field, also known as Snohomish County Airport is a public airport located in unincorporated Snohomish County, between Mukilteo and Everett, Washington...
, Washington, July 27, 1952 - Hamilton AFB, Calif, August 18, 1955 – December 31, 1969
- Operated from Toa Yuan AB, TaiwanTaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, September–December 1958- Loring AFB, MaineMaineMaine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, 1 July 1971-30 June 1972 - Webb AFB, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, December 1, 1972 – September 30, 1977 - Tyndall AFB, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, January 23, 1991 – present
- Loring AFB, Maine
Aircraft
- P-38 LightningP-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
, 1942–1943 - P-47 ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
, 1943–1944 - P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
, 1944–1945; 1949–1951 - F-84 ThunderjetF-84 ThunderjetThe Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
, 1949–1951; 1953 - F-89B Scorpion, 1951–1952; 1955–1958
- F-86D Sabre Interceptor, 1953-1957
- F-86L Sabre Interceptor (SAGE) 1957-1958
- F-104A/B Starfighter, 1958–1960
- F-101B Voodoo, 1960–1969
- F-106 Delta DartF-106 Delta DartThe Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft for the United States Air Force from the 1960s through the 1980s. Designed as the so-called "Ultimate Interceptor", it has proven to be the last dedicated interceptor in USAF service to date...
, 1970-1972 - T-37 Tweet, 1972–1977
- T-38 TalonT-38 TalonThe Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2011 in air forces throughout the world....
, 1972–1977